Still wondering if the BALCO scandal will taint how I remember the last few years. Was Desi Relaford's .601 OPS in 2004 legitimate? What about Ken Harvey's magical run at a .300 batting average last summer? And who can forget the way a nation rallied around Joe Randa's magical .314/.363/.473 season of '99... that been sullied too?

You can place me in the "this isn't the end of the world" camp on this one, although, as with the artificial controversy regarding the BCS- if enough people feign enough indigation, it becomes important anyway.

Gammons' ESPN.com column on Saturday was perhaps the best thing he's written for espn ever and is well worth reading. Its a nice appraisal of whats truly happened, and whats truly been lost, without diving into a screed against the despicable cheaters who have stolen a nation's innocence.

Beyond Bonds and BALCO, theres the larger issue of the continuing conflict between the player's union and the owners, which is increasingly becoming a repeat of the Iran-Iraq war: causeless save for greed, no one worth rooting for, and seemingly unending. To be sure we'll be subjected to an off-season filled with quotes from the Seligians about everything rotten under the sun, and how somehow the A-rod deal, the Metrodome and guaranteed contracts are to blame.

Meanwhile, here in the AL Central, we'll toddle along amongst ourselves, as the bold (Detroit) battle the indifferent (our Royals), the stupid (White Sox) and the innovative (Indians) try to unseat the mighty (cough cough) Twins.

I keep waiting for more free agent signings to happen, but I guess its too early. Hell, at this time last year we were only just beginning the A-rod to Boston saga.